The Sensation of Magic
by B.W.T
Summary: She'd missed the running, even if it meant being chased by strange madmen intent on shooting her with bolts of light. Magic did always show up in the strangest of places.
1. The Running

**I honestly have no idea where this story is going, but enjoy. Sarah, assuming she was about fifteen or sixteen at the time of the movie, should be somewhere around twenty-four.**

**This is set in the summer after the third book, so Sirius is free, and Remus isn't teaching.**

_July 8th, 1994._

She tore forward, while behind her the goblins tripped, pushed and, in one case, threw, her attackers. Most of them were getting confused, since they couldn't see what was defending the young muggle woman, but one or two of them – the more determined of the lot – just let it egg them on forward.

London had been fun before this. She'd only come over for a week, telling herself it was just to relax. She was still telling herself that, actually. She hadn't started believing it yet.

She half jumped, half slid over the hood of a car, casting a glance behind her. Only two of her attackers were still chasing her, yelling strange phrases while waving about their sticks.

She ducked behind a rubbish bin as a flash of red light shot towards her. Then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt the world around her.

It was a strange ability. It never turned off, either, but most of the time it just guided her thoughts so she didn't get lost, ever. Little pokes, saying turn right or left…

She could feel a safe place, two streets away. She could lose them there. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath before again throwing herself forward into the running.

Being chased by strangers clad in black robes was odd, certainly, almost frightening, but she couldn't help but think how much she had _missed_ the excitement.

Gods, she'd even missed the running. There was something so invigorating about being chased by something that possibly wants to kill you and at the very least wants to seriously harm you. Obviously, she had an unhealthy addiction to danger.

Darting between more cars, she reached the place she'd felt – it looked like a rundown pub. She opened the door quickly and ran in; only stopping once she was well into it, where she stopped to breathe; her hands on her knees as she panted.

Around her, people in more odd clothing – though, thankfully, not the same black robes and white masks – watched her perplexedly. Finally, one of them, a brown-haired man, stepped forward. "Are you alright?" He asked as she straightened up, trying to get rid of the slight grin on her features.

"I'm fine, actually. Sorry for the grand entrance; I was being chased by some black-robed madmen." She looked at the door, trying to decide if she was relieved or disappointed they hadn't chased her more. Of course, she knew this place was safe, but – actually…

She looked back at the man. "Could you tell me where I am?" He looked slightly bewildered and confused, but before he said anything, he guided her over to a table in corner, while everyone else, eventually, returned to their drinks.

"You don't know where you are?" He asked as she sat. She nodded. "I got rather turned around, with all the running." She decided not to point out that she just didn't know the name of where she was. She knew perfectly well her location.

She always did.

The man wrinkled his brow. "You're in the Leaky Cauldron. I'm Remus Lupin – can you tell me who you are? Are you a witch?" He felt silly for the question, she had to be to have gotten in here, but she didn't know what Death Eaters were, or what this place was, and she sounded American.

"Sarah Williams." Sarah said, pushing back her long brown hair as she offered him a hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin." She gave him her strange grin again as he took her hand. "The Leaky Cauldron, then? Odd name." She cast a glance at the somewhat battered robes he wore, and the tip of another wooden stick that poked from his pocket. "No… I'm not a witch. Aren't those from fairytales?" She looked back at his face, still smiling. "I haven't grown any warts, have I? I did think those bits of light the madmen were sending off seemed a bit magic."

She decided not to tell him that she could feel the magic that had been rolling off the bits of light, or that she could feel more magic here – this place was soaked in it, and so was he. Not nearly as much as had been – she pushed the thought away. It felt good, to be surrounded by magic again, even if it was only a little bit. She felt calm, for the first time in a long time.

Remus Lupin looked utterly confused now. "I – you'll have to excuse me, but how could you even _see_ this place?"

_Had the wards fallen? Was Voldemort planning to – what? What purpose would destroying the wards serve? Unless he had destroyed all of them?_ Remus swallowed, while Sarah Williams merely tilted her head at him, smiling almost sadly.

"I find I can see most things I shouldn't." She replied. "Now, why don't you tell me about the madmen, and about this place. I have a feeling it should be fun here." She gave another grin, leaning forward while Remus blinked at her in utter confusion.

_What in Merlin's name should I say?_

He watched her as she watched him, one graceful brow raised. She really looked like she ought to be a witch, he thought. Her green eyes seemed to dance with magic, and he could feel – something on her. He wasn't sure what, since the art of sensing magic wasn't one common in the wizarding world anymore.

_Dumbledore will know what to do._ He decided, finally, and stood. "Miss Williams, if you will accompany me, I know someone who can answer all your questions." He felt calmer, now, knowing what to do. Sarah studied him with something akin to amusement before she stood. He offered her his hand, "This may be a bit strange, for you. I assure you it won't hurt, though. Hold on tight." He hoped it was safe to apparate muggles, but he suspected that at least in Miss Williams case, it was.

She took his hand, and he found she did in fact have a strong grip. He stepped slightly closer to her, somewhat awkwardly, before he focused on the Hog's Head and apparated away.

_Oh._ The sensation _was_ strange. It felt like being wrapped in iron bands and squeezed for a moment. But it was _magic_, too. Pure magic was moving them and it was _amazing._ She tried to soak up as much of it while she could. She had so missed the sensation of it on her skin-

And then it was over, and she was standing in another pub, equally strange as the first in its old style, and Mr. Lupin was gently leading her towards the door as she looked around.

"We'll have a bit of a walk." He told her without pausing in his step, though he released her hand as they left the pub, and she strolled easily beside him. "We're going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to see Headmaster Dumbledore. I'm hoping he can explain everything to you." He watched her take in the information. He didn't have much experience with muggles, but surely she should have been at least surprised to learn that magic existed?

"Is that what you are then? A wizard?" She smiled pleasantly at him. He found himself again bewildered by the calm young woman before him. "Yes." He said simply, unsure what else he could reply with.

They strolled in silence for the rest of the journey, Sarah looking around her curiously, while Remus wondered about her.

He was also wondering if she'd be able to see Hogwarts. He suspected she'd have no trouble, though if she did, he'd get the Headmaster and have him do whatever it was he did to let muggle parents in.

As they reached the castle, he watched her eyes trace the towers easily. So she could see it, then.

"This way." He told her as they reached the doors and he led her inside.

Without hesitation, Sarah entered, and only paused to feel the ancient magic that swept towards her like an embrace. She let out a soft breath of surprise at it; it felt almost sentient. This castle was _old_. So old… and the magic had been with it for the entirety of its time.

_It felt amazing._ She could hear Remus beside her, he wasn't sure what to say, but he kept shifting. She blocked him out, just for the moment, just so she could enjoy this.

The magic wrapped around her; soaked into her skin. It felt warm, tingly almost. So much magic had been used here, since this place's creation. It was positively bursting…

Her heart twisted slightly when she realized it still wasn't as strong as the _other_ place. It still didn't quite fulfill her unwanted desire. It came close, closer then any place before it, but not quite close enough.

She opened her eyes and smiled at Remus with a forced calm. He was frowning at her, but when he saw she had finished, he led her up the stairs. "Be careful," He said as they climbed, "the stairs move."

She couldn't resist a laugh. "Wonderful! Do the students ever try jumping from one to another?" She watched several sets of stairs move – not the one they were on, but some close by. Remus gave her an odd look as they came to a gargoyle. "No, that would be rather dangerous." He commented, before murmuring something she couldn't quite hear to the statue, which jumped aside, revealing another set of stairs – these spiraling upwards.

Again following Remus, she wondered idly what this Dumbledore was like. It seemed she was about to find out.

**This seemed like a safe enough stopping point. Let me know what you think? I hope Remus wasn't too out of character, it's been awhile since I read the third book, and I haven't got it with me at the moment.**


	2. Puzzles

**So here you are; chapter two. It's only been mildly edited, so I apologize for any massive errors. I'll read through it in a day or two, but until then, feel free to point out any mistakes (nicely, please!). **

**Enjoy!**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore enjoyed puzzles. He adored them, really.

The deceptive young woman with her old eyes sitting in front of him was certainly a puzzle. She was smiling pleasantly, and seemed entirely innocent of the magic around her, but he could feel it on her.

Smiling himself, he offered she and Lupin a lemon drop. Lupin declined, but she took one, and popped it in her mouth.

Dumbledore settled back in his seat, putting his fingers together in a steeple. "So you have no magic to speak of, Miss Williams?" He asked, a second time, actually. He still didn't believe her this time when she shook her head.

Perhaps it was the way her eyes twinkled, almost like he knew his own did. She had the distinct look of someone who knew something that nobody else in the room did. He hoped to find out soon what that something was.

"And yet you were capable of not only seeing but entering the Leaky Cauldron, as well as Hogwarts?" He continued to smile at her as he spoke, watching her every move.

Still sucking on the lemon drop, Sarah nodded her head. He began to wonder if perhaps that was her purpose for taking the sweet.

"How curious." He leaned forward slightly, shifting his hands slightly. "You had no previous knowledge of magic before this?"

Again, she shook her head, but her eyes betrayed her. The bright green color sparkled merrily, almost as some of Severus' potions were want to do when jinxed by a few students.

Through all this, Remus remained quiet, watching the two. He was still uncertain what to think of the whole thing, and Sarah Williams certainly wasn't helping.

"Remus said you were chased by Death Eaters – is this true?" Dumbledore raised one wizened old brow at her.

Having finished the lemon drop, Sarah gave a slight laugh and shrug. "I was chased by crazy madmen in black robes and white masks. Apparently, the only people fitting that description that our friend Mr. Lupin knows of are Death Eaters. Rather silly name, isn't it?"

Dumbledore found himself pleasantly surprised. He had expected some level of fear from her. Most people, after all, found Death Eaters frightening. He couldn't resist a larger smile. "Perhaps. Though I promise you, the carriers of that name are quite deadly."

"Oh, I'm sure. Non-deadly things don't usually bother to chase me." Sarah replied easily.

"Indeed…" Dumbledore settled back in his chair, looking thoughtful.

After a moment of silence, Sarah started speaking again. "So, is it my turn to ask questions?"

A nod was her reply.

"Mr. Lupin told me this was a school? I'm assuming it's not the only school in your world – which leads to my real question. How big is the wizarding world? How do you manage to stay hidden?" She looked curiously at Dumbledore, who found himself again pleasantly surprised, and infinitely more interested in the growing mystery of Sarah Williams.

"All intelligent questions!" He said happily. "To answer in order: yes, this is a school. The wizarding world is somewhat small, in comparison to the muggle world, but it is large enough in its own right. As for your last question, Miss Williams," He chuckled here, "we have lots of practice."

Sarah tapped her lip, a somewhat subconscious act Dumbledore noted, before speaking again. "Does one have to be magic to live in your world?"

Of course she would want to stay, he thought. Who wouldn't?

"There are non-magical people in our world, referred to as squibs. They are people born from two magical parents who do not, themselves, show magic." Sarah tilted her head at him, letting her long hair tumble down over her shoulder. "Oh?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Though squibs do actually have some level of magic, it's too low to be of any use. It merely allows them to see things muggles can't… and on occasion, bond with cats." He chuckled at the last one, thinking of Filch. "Neither of your parents were magical, though?"

Sarah smiled, calmly. "No, not as far as I know."

"Interesting." Dumbledore hummed slightly, standing. "How long are you to be in England, Miss Williams?" He asked as he rounded the table, both Sarah and Remus now standing as well.

"As long as need be." Sarah replied. "I have no obligations to uphold in America."

Dumbledore clapped his hands, "Well, then, until such a time as you return to America, I believe it best we give you a place to stay that's safe. At least until we've figured all of this out."

Sarah nodded her consent, contently. "Ah, good. I shall write down an address for you, and Mr. Lupin will take you there – are we agreed?" Dumbledore took a quill from his desk and a scrap of paper, neatly writing the address for Grimmauld Place. He handed it to her.

Reading the address, Sarah could feel the slightest tang of magic on her tongue as something unlocked. She wasn't entirely sure what. Still, she thanked Dumbledore before turning to Remus again, who stood by the door, waiting for her to accompany him. He nodded a goodbye to Dumbledore, while Sarah waved, before they left.

Dumbledore returned to his desk. Sirius could do with the company, he knew. He had placed the Fidelius Charm on the house not long after Sirius was freed, and the poor man had been shut up in there since.

Albus penned a quick letter to Sirius explaining, though he was certain Remus would be able to handle it easily enough, which he gave to Fawkes.

After finishing that, he sat and simply thought for a moment, turning over the new information in his head. Why would the Death Eaters chase a young, seemingly normal young muggle woman through muggle London? He frowned slightly. It didn't make any sense, which would have been fine, actually, because Voldemort and his Death Eaters were quite mad, but this made especially little sense. He had no doubt that Voldemort was still out there, but he didn't think he had started moving again.

He resolved to ask Severus about it, as soon as he had a moment. Although, he was sure the Potions Master would have said something if Voldemort had stirred.

HPHPHP

Sirius was, to put it lightly, _bored_; incredibly, undeniably so. He was to the point of ripping out his hair from pure boredom.

And then he heard somebody enter the house, and Remus call out for him.

He bounded down the stairs, hurtling as quickly as he could to his friend before wrapping him in a tight hug. He barely noticed the young woman standing behind him with a backpack slung over one shoulder. "Remus, my friend!" He grinned happily. "You're as thin as ever!" He poked him in the ribs before taking a step back, turning his gaze to the woman. "And who's this?" He gave her a roguish grin.

"My name is Sarah Williams." She said, offering a hand, which he took and kissed. It wasn't everyday he encountered lovely young women. She flushed, slightly, and her eyes danced.

Remus cleared his throat. "Dumbledore was wondering if she could stay here for awhile?" He frowned softly. "She was chased by Death Eaters, Sirius. In muggle London."

Sirius blinked, startled, before nodding. "Of course, of course. I'll get one of the bedrooms sorted. Kreacher!" He waved the two of them into the kitchen area as he headed towards the stairs again.

Sarah watched him leave, lost in her thoughts again. This day had been getting odder and odder, and despite the apparent danger, she found herself loving every second of it.

It was the most alive she had felt in eight years. It was – amazing. Little swirls of insanity were ebbing away, with the feel of the magic against her skin. She had _missed_ it. Not to speak of the general excitement; the running, the craziness. She found herself never wanting to leave.

She didn't want to go back home to America, to her dreary secretary job. To the everyday boredom.

Remus was making tea, watching the young woman who stood in the doorway of the kitchen with something of a lost expression. "Are you still with us?" He asked, lightly, as he set three cups out. For as much as Sirius teased him about his weight, he knew the dark-haired man was still worse of than he. He doubted Sirius drank or ate enough for half a man.

Sarah blinked, and smiled. "Of course. Can I help?" She shed her backpack, leaving it leaning against the wall as she ventured further into the room.

Remus smiled, shaking his head. "Just sit. I'm going to hunt through the cabinets to see if he has anything to go with the tea."

Complying, Sarah focused her attention on the ragged man as he started opening and closing cabinets.

He looked tired, though he hid it well. He was attractive, too, in a kind of worn way. It came out mostly when he smiled, which she thought he ought to do more often. His smiles lit up his features quite nicely.

She realized, then, that quests for danger and excitement and the feeling of magic against her skin aside – she was really quite lonely, and strangely, Remus Lupin, a ragged magic man, made her feel slightly less so.

**I'm sorry if that ending was slightly abrupt, I wanted to get this out there and posted. This most certainly isn't the end of the story. **

**To answer a few of the review questions: yes, Jareth will make an appearance. Actually – question of my own about that… I almost always do Jareth/Sarah, but would anyone like to see a different ship? Or like a brief different ship?**

**(Okay so maybe the ragged magic man needs some company…)**

**Also, I realize Sarah was chased by Death Eaters when they weren't supposed to be chasing people around. Don't worry, there's a reason… **


	3. Fairytale Kings

**Another apology for how long it took me to put out this chapter. Things sort of… exploded in my life. But here's a bit of Jareth to spice things up and confuse everyone.**

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Jareth stalked the length of his throne room, his features switching between pleased and annoyed.

He was pleased because Sarah was now around magic, and therefore able to absorb some of it, stabilizing her.

He was annoyed because she had yet to call for him.

He was further annoyed by the wild man in the house she was staying at, who had made advances on _his _Sarah.

Pausing in his stalking, somewhere near the center of the room, Jareth rested a hand on his forehead for a moment. He so often forgot that mortals could not feel magic anymore – even claiming magic.

Even the claiming magic of the entire Labyrinth, which was quite strong.

He tilted his head to the ceiling, thinking. It would possibly be beneficial to visit the old man that Sarah had been taken to. He could make it clear to the mortal that Sarah was to stay in the wizarding world, 'til such a time she called for him.

Deep in the back of his mind, a worried voice tried to put forth an _if_; but Jareth, proud king of the Labyrinth, ignored it. Mostly.

"Oh precious…" He murmured under his breath, before disappearing in a flash of glittering magic.

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Albus had just stood to go down to the great hall when a number of his strange gizmos went off, and someone stepped from thin air.

The man before him was tall, with wild blonde hair, strange clothing, and stranger eyes. He smiled dangerously at Albus and moved forward. "I suggest you sit, mortal. I am told your kind have weak hearts."

Slowly, Albus did so, but not before slipping his wand into his hand. Years of war had not left him senseless.

Once Albus had sat, the man followed suit, throwing himself comfortably into one of the chairs in front of Albus' desk, one leg hanging lazily over the arm rest as he continued to smile.

"Earlier you were visited by a young woman. She expressed an ability to see your world. I am here to tell you that for as long as need be, she will remain within it." He let his leg drop to the floor so he could lean forward, his mismatched eyes glinting. "Am I clear, mortal?"

Albus frowned. "You refer to Miss Williams? Of course she is free to remain as long as she likes, but I cannot force her, Mr. –?"

"You are an important man in your world, Albus Dumbledore, just as I am in mine. You can find reasons for her to remain. I want her safe."

Jareth growled under his breath as he saw the man still seemed want to argue. This was already hard enough. Why did his precious torment him so? Forcing him to move events from afar, to interact with this world so strongly.

He was a king. He should be kicking goblins and drinking the finest of wines.

_So should she. _He reminded himself. And hopefully, this would help.

Just as Albus opened his mouth to argue or ask another question, Jareth moved forward, planting his hands firmly on the desk and sending papers flying every which way.

"I am not accustomed to being argued with by _mortals_, old man. You try my already weakened patience. Do as I say; or I will show your world a nightmare worse than that of your Dark Lord." He watched Dumbledore for a moment, and when he saw no further moves to protest, he continued. "Sarah Williams will remain here, safe, for as long need be. No harm is to come to her, and if any does…"

Jareth didn't bother to finish the sentence, he merely smiled, though calling it a smile was a stretch – it was a twisted expression that spoke simply of how much pain the man before Dumbledore was capable of causing, if he desired to.

And then he was gone. A faint dusting of glitter settled over where he had been, and Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, trying to process everything as best he could.

The first order of business, after ensuring that Miss Williams was safe and well in Grimmauld Place, would be to see if he could find out anything about the man who had just visited. He was uncertain if asking Miss Williams about the man would be a good idea or not.

Not for the first time, Dumbledore felt a sense of excitement at this new puzzle.

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Tea had been an interesting affair. Remus and Sirius had entertained her with stories and told her more of their world, and also some of what was happening within it.

They had left her, slightly unwillingly on Sirius' part, in the library with a book. She was glad that Remus had gotten his friend away, as she needed time to process everything.

She studied the book in her hands, an old copy of wizarding Fairytales. The Dark Lord they'd mentioned did sound rather frightening, she supposed.

_So why aren't you afraid? _Asked a voice in the back of her head. Sarah frowned.

Perhaps it was because eight years ago, she had faced the most frightening thing of her life, and won.

_Are you so sure you won?_

Mentally, she told herself to shut up. Of course she had. She'd won back Toby and her freedom. She thought she'd done rather an impressive job of it, considering how young she'd been at the time.

Sighing, she opened the book, glancing over the table of contents. She couldn't help the slight shiver as the magic from the book floated up over her skin. It seemed all wizarding books carried some form of magic on the pages, and the older the book, the stronger it was, to a point. She'd spent the first part of her time in the library simply opening as many of the old books as she could find.

Forcing herself to focus, she tried to decide which story to read first. They didn't seem to be in any particular order.

_The Jealous Witch_

_The Tailor and the Sly Pixies_

_The Princess and the Animagus _

_The Princess Who Drank Living Death_

_The Goblin King and the One Who Felt Magic_

Raising her brow at the last one, Sarah skipped to the end of the book, to find a drawing of someone who looked slightly like Jareth, though it was difficult to tell, since the page was somewhat faded. Beside the figure, though, was another – standing further back, and all she could properly make out were a few flying tendrils of hair.

Frowning, she turned the page to the actual story, and was met with a scrawled pencil message in the margin: _utterly ridiculous, goblins have no king. Interesting story about when wizards could still feel magic, however. _

It was signed with blurred initials, which Sarah gave up trying to figure out after a moment – all she could tell is it was probably signed by a Black, since the latter initial did look an awful lot like a _B. _

Cuddling further into the chair, Sarah started to read the actual story.

_**G**oblin children are all told the same story, of a champion that will calm their king. She will traverse dangers untold to reach him, and will feel the magic surrounding her, as wizarding kind did in times of old._

Sarah closed the book, swallowing. She glared down at the cover for a moment. Why did books always seem to know her life before she did? Standing swiftly, she tucked the book away in the shelves, ignoring the part of her that made note of exactly where it was, so she could come back and finish it, when she felt ready.

Shaking her head, she exited the library quickly, intent on finding one of the two wizards still in the house. She could do with company.

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**Another abrupt ending, but I sort of ran out of steam. There should be another chapter soon enough, though. And maybe I'll be able to finish the fairytale in that one.**

**Let me know what you think? I hope it's not too awful. **


	4. Dreams and Strange Things

**My muse is sort of back. I apologize if the characters are a bit off from what they should be, I'm getting back into the hang of things.**

**Also, uh... I have a slight dislike for Dumbledore in this chapter. I'm not entirely sure why. But he probably won't end up horribly evil, so don't worry.**

Remus had made soup for dinner, a healthy portion of which he had dished up for Sirius. Sarah, who sat nursing another cup of tea as she watched the two interact, had only had a small bowl, but had joined Remus in trying to make his friend eat more.

So far, Sirius had made a point of protesting, and calling them both mother hens, but had eaten the chicken noodle. Sarah, pleased with the victory, moved on to quizzing the two about their world.

She learned quickly that Sirius was want to exaggerate – a teller of tales, and a flirt, he took every question and tried to turn it into a pick up line. But he was playful enough about it that it didn't annoy her.

Remus was the one who gave her actual information. She suspected he was a teacher, or had been, because his talk carried that flavor. He told her about wands and the reason behind them, he gave her the back story on Hogwarts, and he told her a little more of Voldemort.

And, he told her, in passing, about Harry Potter and his friends. Sarah took that information with a curious look in her features, her lips twisting.

But before the topic could be followed further, Dumbledore arrived. He smiled jovially at them and took the seat Remus offered, as well as the cup of tea.

Once he was settled, he turned his attentions to Sarah. He had decided after some thought and perusal of his library to simply ask her about the man. He simply didn't have enough information on the man to find anything on his own.

"Miss Williams," He began, his expression becoming somewhat serious, but still friendly enough, "I have just received a strange visitor who seemed quite interested in you."

Sarah stiffened but offered no reply. It was enough, though, for Dumbledore to realize that she did know something of the man.

"He seemed adamant that we keep you safe, which I am happy to do. I would like to know who he is, though."

She bit her lip, before standing and moving around the kitchen, pacing with her thoughts. Remus and Sirius watched her curiously.

"Do you have goblins in your world?" Sarah asked after several moments of silence. Dumbledore nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Goblins have a king." She said, simply, trailing her hand over the back of her chair when she moved nearer the table. "A cruel, wild king…" She trailed off, seeming caught in thought.

Dumbledore sipped his tea, trying to conceal some of his interest in this new piece of the puzzle. No one knew the workings of goblin government, much less that they would have a king. They were a very private race.

He indicated for her to continue and after a moment, she complied. "When I was younger, I met him. And defeated him, I suppose you could say. To be entirely frank, I believe that's the reason I can see your world." She frowned for a moment, and decided not to point out the fact that she could sense magic again. "He… uh, seems intent to follow me. I'm not really sure what his game is, this time."

She took her seat again.

"There is a war beginning again, Miss Williams. The wizarding world will not always be safe, especially for one such as yourself. But perhaps your friend could be of assistance…?" Dumbledore set his tea down, smiling warmly at the woman as he spoke.

Sarah blinked at him. It was a curious thing, she thought, that the old man would jump immediately to that. "I wouldn't know what to say in such a regard, sir. I haven't spoken to him in eight years, and I would hardly call him my friend."

Dumbledore shrugged one robed shoulder, settling back in his chair again. "Ah, well. I fear that in my old age, I must consider every possibility in the coming events."

Something passed between the two of them, a silent conversation that Sirius and Remus, who had been silent for most of the exchange, could not understand.

Sarah wasn't entirely sure what had passed, in fact, only that something existed within Albus Dumbledore that she didn't entirely understand and that, in that exchange, he had learned more about her than she had him.

Shortly after that, Dumbledore left.

"A goblin king?" Sirius asked, scratching his shaggy head. "Curious thing. I'm not sure I can picture the little buggers bowing. Very proud they are, at least the ones in Gringotts."

"Are they?" Sarah smiled, slipping back into her familiar level of amusement.

Remus nodded, "Yes, they are. They control most of the wizarding gold, in one form or another. But I have never heard mention of a king, except in old fairytales…"

"Always something new to learn!" Sarah said, laughing as she stood. "But if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I think I'll get some sleep. It's been a long day."

HPHPHPHP

It was easier to watch her in the wizarding world, most of the time he didn't even have to use his own power.

Watching her was really the most he could do. He could not speak to her, could not come to her. Until she called, there was nothing he could do… well, little he could do.

The wonderful thing about the wizarding world, the reason he had driven her there in the first place, was that many of the things the humans took for granted, he understood. House elves, for example… he knew the Elven king. They got on quite well, surprisingly.

As such, elves quite liked him. There were certain rules of loyalty they would follow. House elves especially, being that they were a somewhat mutated lot after centuries of forced servitude.

The Black family elf, Kreaker or Meacher or something, was especially willing to help him.

His magic could not touch Sarah Williams. He could not influence her or trick her or use his power on her in any way.

He could not see her dreams, because to see her dreams his magic would have to snake over her and steal a look inside her beautiful mind.

But Leacher or Feacher or something's magic wasn't his. And as the house was Kreaker's home, the elf could move about it freely. This was what had thwarted him in the past – the goblins could visit Sarah, he knew they did, but they were guests. No magic.

That night, Kreacher stole into Sarah's room and used an obscure brand of elfin magic to look at her dreams and bring the little images back to him.

After dismissing the elf, Jareth settled into his throne and let himself fall into the dream, captured in a delicate crystal.

_The forest was thick around her, but she walked through it as if strolling across fields. She wore a dress similar to the one she used to recite her plays in, in that park so long ago. It fit her better now, with a woman's figure filling the fabric. He followed just behind her, resisting the urge to reach out for her._

_She seemed to be looking for something, moving with a confident step that only occasionally paused. He watched her pause by a giant oak, resting her hand against the bark and looking around._

_He was aware that she couldn't see him, she had dreamed this without him in it, but still – to have had her eyes alight upon him again…_

_Someone came from the trees then, someone he couldn't see clearly at first. But soon enough as the figure neared the tree, the wild blonde hair and sharp features became clear. The figure had a feral grin as he went for Sarah, catching her in his arms._

_Jareth could see her frown, see her push him away. She seemed confused, looking around the trees again. "This isn't right." She said; voice clear. Dream-Jareth beside her moved closer to her again, slipping his arms comfortably around her waist and pressing his lips to the skin behind her ear._

"_What isn't, precious?" Dream-Jareth asked. Sarah turned her head to look at him, still frowning. "You. You're not real. Not right." She pushed him away, stepping back._

"_I feel magic, always. But there is no magic on you." And she turned away, searching the trees again. "Where is it?" She murmured, moving into the darkness and leaving dream-Jareth behind her._

__**So, thoughts?**


End file.
